Learning Center
How compression works
Run-length encoding, Huffman coding, LZ77 and DEFLATE explained one idea at a time, then how to choose between gzip, xz, Zstandard and Brotli for a real job.
1:24How file compression worksSee how lossless compression shrinks files with run-length encoding, Huffman coding and LZ77 pointers, and why ZIP, gzip and PNG all rely on DEFLATE.
1:16Huffman coding explained: shorter codes for common symbolsLearn how Huffman coding builds a tree from symbol counts, gives frequent letters short codes, and decodes without separators, with a worked example.
1:26LZ77 and DEFLATE: how ZIP, gzip and PNG compressLearn how LZ77 pointers, DEFLATE blocks and Huffman codes work together, why a pointer can overlap its own output, and how ZIP differs from tar.gz.
1:26Lossless vs lossy compression: what gets thrown awayLossless compression gives back every byte. Lossy compression discards detail on purpose. See what JPEG and MP3 drop, why re-saving hurts, and what to keep.
1:26Choosing a compression algorithm: gzip, xz, Zstandard, BrotliCompare gzip, bzip2, xz, Zstandard and Brotli by size, speed and memory, then pick one for web assets, backups, archives or files other people must open.
